bovee_bct9_tif_03.doc

Chapter 3COMMUNICATING IN A WORLD OF DIVERSITY

Multiple Choice

1. “All the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals” is the definition of

a. ethnicity. b. diversity. c. culture.d. none of the above.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 64; TYPE: concept

2. Diversity in the workplace can be based on differences ina. ethnic heritage.b. religion.c. geography.d. all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 64-65; TYPE: concept

3. By 2010, recent immigrants will account for ______ percent of all new U.S. workers.

a. 10b. 25c. 50d. 75

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 65; TYPE: concept

4. Culture influences a person’s understanding of a. words.b. nonverbal signals.c. use of time and space.d. all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 66; TYPE: application

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5. Many difficulties in intercultural communication occur because people in different cultures have different

a. genetics.b. assumptions about how people should think, behave, and

communicate.c. environments.d. media.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 66-67; TYPE: concept

6. When you react ethnocentrically, you a. assume that your culture is superior to others.b. recognize the differences that exist between your culture and other

cultures.c. focus on the possibility that your words and actions will be

misunderstood.d. do all of the above.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 67; TYPE: concept

7. Xenophobia is the fear of a. crises.b. working in unfamiliar environments.c. strangers and foreigners.d. change.


8. The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known asa. ethnocentrism.b. cultural pluralism.c. ethnography.d. stereotyping.


9. Ethnocentrism can be overcome by a. avoiding assumptions.b. judging other groups according to your own standards.c. ignoring the distinctions among cultures.d. remembering that people from other cultures communicate in ways that are inferior to your own.


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10. Cultural differences appear in a number of important areas, includinga. nonverbal signals.b. gender.c. religion.d. all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 69; TYPE: concept

11. In high-context cultures a. people rely more on nonverbal circumstances and cues to convey meaning.b. people rely less on the environmental setting to convey meaning.c. the rules of everyday life are highly explicit.d. all of the above occur.


12. To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany, people rely more on

a. gestures and vocal inflection.b. indirectness and metaphors.c. situational cues.d. explicit verbal communication.


13. When it comes to decision-making customs, executives from low-context cultures

a. tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face.b. prefer to make their deals slowly, after much discussion.c. spend a lot of time on each little point to display their good faith.d. arrive at decisions through consensus, after an elaborate and time-

consuming process.


14. If a U.S.-based official pays a bribe to government officials in another country, it is

a. always considered a normal part of doing business.b. considered unethical but not illegal to do so.c. illegal, under U.S. law.d. only unethical if the bribe is over $1,000.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 70; TYPE: application

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15. People in the United States generally a. view hard-earned material comfort as a worthy goal.b. believe that people who work hard are no better than those who don't work hard.c. condemn materialism and prize a carefree lifestyle.d. spend far less time on the job than German workers.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 70-71; TYPE: concept

16. Social rules vary from culture to culture in terms of a. attitudes toward work and success.b. roles and status.c. use of manners.d. all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 70-71; TYPE: concept

17. Asking a colleague “How was your weekend?” is a. an effective greeting in any culture.b. accepted in the U.S., but considered intrusive in some cultures.c. never acceptable in a business environment.d. grounds for a lawsuit.


18. Meeting a deadline is generally less important than building a relationship for businesspeople from

a. the United States.b. Scandinavia.c. Taiwan.d. Germany.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 71; TYPE: application

19. Cultural differences in nonverbal communication can influence a. greetings.b. attitudes toward personal space.c. attitudes toward touching.d. all of the above.


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20. To learn as much as you can about a culture a. read books and articles about the culture.b. sample newspapers, magazines, music, and movies of that culture.c. study the languages of the culture.d. do all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75-76; TYPE: concept

21. If you will be living in another country where English is not the official language but you will be doing business in English, you

a. will not need to learn that country’s language.b. should learn only those words that are absolutely necessary for

getting around.c. will show respect by making every effort to learn the language.d. should only deal with natives who can speak English.


22. Letters from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ____________ than those written in the United States.

a. more directb. less directc. less interestingd. shorter


23. When writing for multicultural audiences, it’s important to a. be brief.b. be clear.c. address international correspondence properly.d. do all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 77-78; TYPE: concept

24. German business letters often close witha. a joke.b. a compliment to the recipient.c. a question.d. none of the above.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: application

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25. When writing letters to businesspeople in other countries, you should a. use an informal, friendly tone.b. keep your sentences and paragraphs long.c. be vague and general in your wording.d. make generous use of transitional words and phrases.


26. When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you shoulda. write the letter in English and then translate it into the target language.b. assume that the audience is familiar with common U.S. phrases

and references.c. be sure to remove all graphics, in case they might offend someone.d. be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that

person’s culture.


27. Which of the following sentences contains an idiomatic expression? a. Our monthly sales quota is unrealistic.b. We don’t expect to meet our monthly sales quota.c. Making our monthly sales quota will be a piece of cake.d. The sales quota is very reasonable.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78-79; TYPE: application

28. When speaking in English to people who use English as a second language,you should

a. forget about feedback; just make sure you get your message across.b. repeat your sentences often, a little louder each time.c. speak slowly and clearly.d. use plenty of adjectives such as fantastic and fabulous.


29. During conversations with non-native English speakers, you shoulda. immediately rephrase statements they don’t seem to understand.b. avoid paying too much attention to nonverbal feedback.c. avoid including any words or phrases from their native language.d. do none of the above.


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30. When speaking with someone from another culture, avoida. talking down to the other person.b. using any foreign phrases.c. paying any attention to the person’s body language.d. all of the above.


31. To English-speaking U.S. listeners, Arabic speech may sound a. excited or angry.b. disinterested.c. timid.d. all of the above.


32. When you deal with people who don't speak your language at all, you have three appropriate options, including

a. using an interpreter or a translator.b. using gestures and sign language.c. speaking loudly and enunciating clearly.d. using an English-only policy.


33. If you have a business message translated from English into another language, it is a good idea to

a. have it translated word for word.b. have it back-translated.c. use several translators.d. do all of the above.


34. Machine translations are usually ____________ those produced by human translators.

a. more accurate thanb. less accurate thanc. just as accurate asd. more costly than


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35. In general, international correspondence tends to be ____________ than thatof the United States.

a. more directb. less formalc. more formald. much shorter


True or False

36. Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages within a specific culture.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 64; TYPE: concept

37. International business communication has been hampered by tightening trade barriers throughout the world.


38. Although U.S. business is becoming more international and more culturally diverse, intercultural skills are still low on the list of companies’ employee requirements.


39. A group of men and women of various ages working together is an example of cultural diversity.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 64; TYPE: concept

40. By 2010, recent immigrants will account for half of all new U.S. workers.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 65; TYPE: concept

41. People within a particular culture tend to differ greatly in their basic assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate.


42. Culture is inborn.


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43. Members of a well-established culture tend to view their culture as complete, which can dull or even suppress curiosity about other cultures.


44. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to have an equally unbiased view of all ethnic groups.


45. When ethnocentric people stereotype an entire group of people, they are usually justified in doing so.


46. To overcome ethnocentrism, you should ignore the differences between another person’s culture and your own.


47. Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they’re not even consciously aware.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 67-68; TYPE: concept

48. Cultural context refers to the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture.


49. Because the United States and Germany have such high-context cultures, they rely heavily on verbal communication and less on implied meaning.


50. For Chinese businesspersons, the primary role of communication is building relationships, not exchanging information.


51. In low-context cultures, businesspeople tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face.


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52. Regardless of the country in which you’re doing business, a person suspected of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty.


53. All the industrialized nations have signed a treaty that makes payoffs to foreign officials a criminal offense.


54. In every culture, it’s safe to assume that people view material comforts earned by individual effort as a sign of superiority.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 70-71; TYPE: concept

55. In Arab countries, it is impolite to take gifts to a man’s wife, but it is acceptable to take gifts to his children.


56. On average, U.S. employees work many more hours per year than their counterparts in France and Germany.


57. Differences in nonverbal communication are often a major source of misunderstanding in intercultural communication.


58. In any culture, frequent eye contact is regarded as a sign of honesty and openness.


59. Studies show that in all cultures, men and women tend to have different communication styles.


60. When you’re preparing to do business in another culture, even studying that culture in advance won’t help you communicate more effectively.


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61. When communicating with people from other cultures, it is best to apologize when you make a mistake.


62. Many companies now routinely provide employees with training in languages other than English.


63. There are few significant differences between English as it is spoken in the U.S. and English as it is spoken in the United Kingdom.


64. Swedish business culture values direct communication as a sign of efficiency, but discourages heated debates and confrontations.


65. Unlike most Asian professionals, French executives do not soften up their colleagues with praise before they criticize.


66. American and German businesspeople use the same level of formality in writing business messages.


67. In general, when writing to someone in another country, U.S. businesspeople should be a bit more formal than they would be otherwise.


68. When writing to someone for whom English is a second language, you should avoid using slang and idioms.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78-79; TYPE: concept

69. In intercultural conversations, speaking slowly is usually regarded as a sign of disrespect.


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70. Machine translation software is generally far more effective than human translators.


Fill-in-the-Blank

71. The process of sending and receiving messages between people of different cultures is called ____________________ ____________________.

ANSWER: intercultural communication; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 64; TYPE: concept

72. As businesses become more global, the workforce is increasingly ____________________, made up of employees with different national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.

ANSWER: diverse; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 65; TYPE: concept

73. By 2010, recent____________________ will account for half of all new U.S. workers.

ANSWER: immigrants; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 65; TYPE: concept

74. ____________________ is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.

ANSWER: Culture; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 66; TYPE: concept

75. ____________________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to your own group's standards, behaviors, and customs.

ANSWER: Ethnocentrism; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 67; TYPE: concept

76. ____________________ is a fear of strangers and foreigners.

ANSWER: Xenophobia; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 67; TYPE: concept

77. Cultural ____________________ is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same culture.

ANSWER: context; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 69; TYPE: concept

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78. In a ____________________ culture such as exists in Taiwan, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning.

ANSWER: high-context; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 69; TYPE: concept

79. In a ____________________ culture such as exists in Germany, people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning.

ANSWER: low-context; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 69; TYPE: concept

80. Whether called a huilu (China), vzyatka (Russia), or una mordida (Mexico), money paid to get favors from officials is still a ____________________.

ANSWER: bribe; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 70; TYPE: concept

81. Rules that teach members of a culture how to behave in common social situations (such as table manners at meals) are considered ____________________ rules.

ANSWER: formal; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 70; TYPE: concept

82. Cultural rules learned over time by watching how people behave and then imitating that behavior are called ____________________ rules.

ANSWER: informal; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 70; TYPE: concept

83. Differences in ____________________ ____________________, such as gestures and eye contact, are a major source of misunderstanding during intercultural communications.

ANSWER: nonverbal communication; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 71-72; TYPE: concept

84. When preparing messages for multicultural audiences, it is best to avoid slang and ____________________ phrases such as “Off the top of my head.”

ANSWER: idiomatic; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78-79; TYPE: concept

85. ____________________ ____________________ refers to any form of computerized intelligence used to translate one language to another.

ANSWER: Machine translation; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 81; TYPE: concept

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Short Answer

86. Briefly describe at least three advantages of a multicultural workforce.

ANSWER: A culturally diverse workforce yields a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas. It also helps companies understand and identify with diverse markets and enables organizations to benefit from a wider range of employee talents.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 65; TYPE: concept

87. What is a culture?

ANSWER: A culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 66; TYPE: concept

88. What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be overcome?

ANSWER: Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to one’s own group’s standards, behaviors, and customs and to see all other groups as inferior by comparison. You can overcome ethnocentrism by acknowledging distinctions and by avoiding assumptions and judgments. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 67; TYPE: concept

89. Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture, and provide at least one example of each.

ANSWER: In high-context cultures such as South Korea or Taiwan, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. In low-context cultures such as the United States and Germany, people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 69; TYPE: concept

90. Describe at least three common business activities affected by contextual differences across cultures.

ANSWER: Contextual differences across cultures can profoundly affect the way people engage in decision making, problem solving, and negotiating.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 69; TYPE: concept

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91. Distinguish between “formal” and “informal” cultural rules, then briefly describe three areas in which differing informal rules can become evident during intercultural communication.

ANSWER: Formal rules (such as table manners) are specifically articulated. Informal rules are learned over time by watching others’ behavior and imitating it. Differences in informal rules can affect a number of areas, including attitudes toward work and success, social roles, status, manners, and time. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 70-71; TYPE: application

92. List at least three areas of nonverbal communication that can differ widely among cultures.

ANSWER: Greetings, the use of personal space, touching behavior, facial expressions, eye contact, posture and formality can all differ widely among various cultures.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept

93. Before conducting business in a foreign country, why is it worthwhile to learn common phrases in the native language even if your clients there will speak English?

ANSWER: Learning basic phrases not only helps you get through everyday business and social situations but also demonstrates your commitment to the business relationship. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 77; TYPE: concept

94. Briefly describe at least three strategies for writing effective multicultural messages.

ANSWER: Strategies for writing multicultural messages include using simple, clear English; being brief; using transitional elements; addressing international correspondence properly; and citing numbers and dates carefully are all helpful when writing to a multicultural audience. It is also important to avoid slang, idioms, and humor. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 77-79; TYPE: application

95. A new employee who speaks English as a second language has just joined the design team you lead. You notice that she often looks confused during conversations. Describe at least three useful strategies for this situation.

ANSWER: Strategies you can use include speaking slowly and clearly, seeking feedback, and verifying what has been said and agreed on would all be useful in this situation. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 80; TYPE: application

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Essay

96. Since cultures do not always share the same ideas on ethical issues, how can you keep messages ethical when communicating interculturally?

ANSWER: Not all cultures share the same perspective on ethical issues. When communicating interculturally, it’s important to actively seek mutual ground by being flexible and not insisting that everything happen in terms of one culture or another. Sending and receiving messages without judgment is also vital: Both parties must recognize that values vary among cultures and that trust is essential. In addition, messages should be honest. Both parties have to recognize their own cultural biases. Finally, for ethical intercultural communication to occur, the stakeholders must show respect for cultural differences. Avoiding ethnocentrism allows both parties to understand and acknowledge the other’s needs and preserve mutual dignity. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 70; TYPE: concept

97. While working in Mexico, you schedule a meeting with a vendor who lives there. When he shows up 20 minutes after the meeting was supposed to begin, should you take it as a sign of incompetence or disrespect? Explain.

ANSWER: This behavior should not be regarded as a sign of incompetence or disrespect. It simply reflects cultural differences in the treatment of time. Executives in countries such as the United States and Germany view time as limited and tend to focus on one task during each scheduled period of the day. In Asian and Latin American cultures, however, time is treated with more flexibility. In these cultures, building business relationships is more important than meeting deadlines and being punctual: The work day is not expected to follow a rigid, preset schedule. If you respond with frustration or anger to the vendor’s late arrival, it could unnecessarily erode your relationship. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 71; TYPE: application

98. List at least three types of nonverbal differences might you encounter when working with businesspeople from other cultures. Provide at least one example of how these differences might cause misunderstandings in communication.

ANSWER: Nonverbal differences among cultures are particularly evident in terms of greetings, personal space, touching and how body language is interpreted. For example, the gesture regarded as the “OK” sign in the U.S. is considered highly offensive in Germany, Brazil, and some other countries. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept

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99. When doing business abroad, what are three strategies can you use to promote effective intercultural communication?

ANSWER: One strategy is to understand social customs regarding issues such as common ways of greeting others: Should you bow? Nod? Shake hands? It is also helpful to learn about clothing and food preferences that characterize the culture in which you’ll work. Doing so requires finding out (among other things) which occasions require special clothing, how many times a day people eat, and so forth. Other strategies include assessing political patterns, understanding religious and folk beliefs, learning about business institutions, and appraising the nature of ethics, values, and laws. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 75-76; TYPE: concept

100. How can cultural differences affect communication styles? What general rule approach should Americans take when writing intercultural correspondence?

ANSWER: Audiences in various cultures often have widely differing ideas of appropriate communication styles. These expectations dictate factors such as how direct one can be, whether heated debates and confrontations are acceptable, and whether written or oral communication is generally preferred. In general, American businesspeople need to be more formal in their international correspondence than they are when writing to people in their own country.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 77; TYPE: concept

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bovee_bct9_tif_03.doc

Documents

monthly sales quota

eye contact

intercultural communication

informal rules

differ widely

international correspondence

cultural biases

united states